This application claims the priority of German Patent Document DE 101 37 023-7-21, filed on Jul. 30, 2002, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a motor vehicle having a fixed roof which can be opened and has a front and a rear roof part which are connected to each other in an articulated manner and, controlled by way of a main link arrangement, can be shifted between a closing position and a storage position in a rear storage space, having a fixed rear window which is mounted pivotably on lateral roof pillars and a pivot axis which runs in a central region of the rear window in a transverse direction of the vehicle, the rear window being driven in a rotational manner relative to the roof pillars during opening and closing movement of the fixed roof, and the rear window, after reaching the closing position of the fixed roof, being pressed via a rotational drive against a sealing seat interacting with the rear window.
A motor vehicle of this type having a fixed roof which can be opened and which comprises a front and a rear roof part is known from German Patent Document DE 197 51 660 C1, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,381. The two roof parts are connected to each other in an articulated manner and, controlled by means of a main link arrangement, can be shifted between a closing position and a storage position in a rear storage space. The rear roof part comprises a fixed rear window which is mounted pivotably on lateral roof pillars and the pivot axis of which runs in the central region of the rear window in the transverse direction of the vehicle. In order to store the rear window in a space-saving manner in the rear storage space with its curvature in the same direction as the front roof part, the said rear window is driven in a rotational manner relative to the roof pillars during the opening and closing movement of the fixed roof. A further lever arrangement coupled to the main link arrangement is used here as the rotational drive. After the fixed roof is closed, the rear window is pressed by means of the rotational drive against a sealing seat interacting with it. In order for the rear window to be sufficiently sealed against the sealing seat, the rotational drive has to produce a considerable force.
An aspect of the invention is therefore to provide a motor vehicle of the type mentioned at the beginning, in which the rear window is sealed against the sealing seat in a simplified and more reliable manner.
This aspect is achieved according to certain preferred embodiments of the invention by providing a supporting arrangement which comprises at least one supporting element which, when pushed forward, enables the rear window to be acted upon by a rotational force ensuring the sealing seat of the rear window.
Advantageous refinements of the invention are to be gathered from the preferred embodiments.
In the case of the motor vehicle according to certain preferred embodiments of the invention, a supporting arrangement having at least one supporting element is provided, which supporting element, when pushed forward enables the rotatable rear window to be acted upon by a further rotational force which ensures the sealing seat of the rear window. In other words, the supporting arrangement enables the rear window, which is already pressed against the seal by way of the rotational drive, to be further rotated through a small angular extent in order to achieve an improved sealing seat. This also enables the rotational drive to be simplified and to be of smaller dimensions, since the sealing force can be applied by the supporting arrangement.
The use of two supporting elements has proven particularly advantageous, the supporting elements interacting in a mirror-symmetrical arrangement with associated, lateral edge zones of the rear window in a manner which is space-saving and inconspicuous for the occupants.
A supporting arrangement which is attached to the associated main link can be designed in a particularly simple manner. As a result, when the roof is closed, the supporting arrangement automatically moves into its supporting position.
If means for centering the rear window are provided at a distance below the pivot axis, then, firstly, good positioning of the rear window and, secondly, improved torsional reinforcement of the roof in the region of the rear roof part can be achieved. The torsional reinforcement is particularly good if a respective centering element is arranged in a mirror-symmetrical arrangement on the lateral roof pillars, the said centering element interacting with a corresponding centering element of the rear window.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.